Page 24 of Playing My Rivals

“The reason you don’t love me. If I don’t agree to have kids with you, you’ll never love me.” He steps back and analyzes me. His body relaxes, and he puts down his armor. “I would give you anything if that’s what it takes.”

“What are you saying?”

“I don’t need a therapist to help me with my decision. I love you. That means I want to share my life with you. I want to share everything with you, even my blood.”

My hands relax, and I drop my blade. Love fills his eyes, and the battle is over.

I close the gap between us, feeling as if I won. “You made your decision?”

“I don’t know if I made it consciously, but I know I want to give you anything you want. In case you haven’t noticed yet, I love having you here. I love watching you move about like this is your place, too. If having one or two little versions of you and me running around will help you love me, then I want you to have it.”

The picture he paints takes over. All my dreams are coming true. My heart bursts and my love flows so much I can barely breathe. My insides heat.

“Hunter, I love you.” My words come out before I have time to process what I’m saying.

“You love me?” He stills his breath. My heart connects to his and I nod.

He picks me up and spins me around. “Woman, you really are going to take me to an early grave.”

He carries me into the bedroom, where we make love until the dawn breaks. When it comes time to fall asleep, my body is satiated. It doesn’t take long for me to be pulled into a slumber.

Hunter shakes me awake. “It’s okay. I’m right here. It was just a bad dream.”

He brings me into his chest as I try to piece together what happened.

I’m sweaty and my heart pounds. “I must have had a nightmare.”

The early morning light illuminates his face. “Yeah. You were thrashing and calling out, so I woke you up.”

“I don’t remember.” My heart feels empty, so I bring my knees to my chest and hug them.

“You were calling out someone’s name.” He shifts so he can see my face better. “You called out for Jamison. I’d like to know why.”

My heart hollows, and the blood drains from my face. “I don’t even remember what I was dreaming about, so I don’t know why I called out his name.”

Hunter’s jaw clenches, and he swallows hard. “Don’t you think it’s time for you to come clean with me about your feelings for him?”

I freeze, and my stomach tightens. I’m in a no-win situation and have no clue how to get out of it.

CHAPTER 6

JAMISON

Nothing like a cold shoulder to set a clear and detached boundary. It’s been this way all week, so I’m not sure why I thought today would be different.

As soon as I walk into our office, Dori makes an excuse to leave. It wouldn’t matter if we didn’t have deadlines.

Who am I kidding?

It matters because she’s never been this distant with me. Something has changed and I wish I knew what that was. My gut tells me it’s about her relationship with Hunter.

She comes into the office and slides a packet of information I need for the next phase of the launch on the edge of my desk. She flips through one for herself. I reach up and take her hand.

She freezes. “What are you doing?”

“I just wanted to see how you are.” I run my thumb over her hand, aching for more.

She pulls it away like I bit it and glances at the door.

---